YBTGX 06

Chapter 06

The Allocation of Silver

As soon as Steward Wang finished speaking, Eldest Uncle Lu An’s face blossomed with joy. Fearing that this fat meat might fly away, he quickly slapped his thigh.

“That would be wonderful, absolutely wonderful!”

Rubbing his hands together, he called Third Uncle over and urged him, “We need a guarantor for this. Third Brother, go and call Old Li from the east end of the village; he is the most fair-minded person.”

Third Uncle, also unable to suppress his smile at the extra two taels of silver, nodded and turned to leave. Not long after, he returned with two neighbors who were related by marriage to serve as guarantors for the transaction. The neighbors, seeing the scene, understood exactly what was happening; their eyes held a touch of sympathy, yet they dared not say much. Such was the way of the world—selling children to survive had become the norm.

A piece of rough hemp paper was spread on the table. One of the guarantors used a low-quality brush dipped in pale ink to write the contract in crooked characters:

“…A living contract for ten years, five taels of silver, agreed upon by both parties, no regrets ever allowed…”

Steward Wang glanced over it to confirm everything was in order, then pushed a red inkpad toward Lu Hou. Lu Hou’s hand trembled violently in mid-air. He didn’t dare look at his wife, let alone his son; he stared intensely at the thin paper that would decide his son’s fate for the next decade. Li Shi, for her part, couldn’t bear to watch at all, her shoulders shaking rhythmically.

Lu Hou gritted his teeth and pressed his thumb down heavily. A bright, glaring red fingerprint was branded onto the paper. After Lu Hou was finished, it was Old Man Lu’s turn. Despite his heavy heart, thinking of the life-saving money needed to cross this hurdle, he closed his eyes and completed the process.

Steward Wang collected the contract swiftly, reached into his robes, and produced five pieces of silver, pushing them gently across the table. Eldest Uncle grabbed the silver efficiently, smiled at Steward Wang, and immediately handed the money over to Old Man Lu.

With the contract signed, the guarantors bowed and took their leave. Steward Wang looked at Lu Lin, who had remained exceptionally quiet from start to finish, and found himself growing even fonder of the boy. His voice softened.

“Good child, the contract is set, but you don’t have to leave immediately. I will give you three days to spend time with your parents at home. In three days, I will send someone to pick you up.”

Lu Lin nodded obediently, looking as if he were entirely at the steward’s disposal. “Thank you, Uncle Wang.”

Steward Wang smiled and nodded, pulling Lu Lin closer to continue giving him some final instructions. Meanwhile, Eldest Uncle, Old Man Lu, and Li Shi were chatting nearby. Before long, muffled sounds of an argument broke out.

“Second Sister-in-law, what is the meaning of this? This money was earned by Lin-er, but it is for our entire Lu family! We paid three taels for the bandit suppression tax, leaving two taels. I am only borrowing it for my studies; it’s not as if I’m not going to pay it back!”

“Borrowing? That sounds nice! Those two extra taels were given by Steward Wang because he felt sorry for our family; it’s compensation for my son! You want to take it for your studies—when will you pay it back? With what will you pay it back!” Li Shi’s voice was filled with tears.

Eldest Uncle was choked by her words for a long moment, then grew angry from embarrassment, his voice rising by an octave. “What does a woman like you know!”

He stopped trying to reason with Li Shi and rushed over to Old Man Lu, falling to his knees with a thud. “Father! Your son is unfilial, but this study trip is absolutely essential! The mentor of my colleagues in the county is coming to give lectures; it is said he will provide tips for the next county examination. If I can go and listen, I will have a seventy or eighty percent chance of passing!”

Old Man Lu had been distraught over selling his grandson, but upon hearing his eldest son’s words, a glimmer of light shone in his clouded eyes. A Xiucai! If the family could produce a Xiucai, all their suffering would come to an end. He turned toward Li Shi, his furrowed brows slightly relaxing. “Second Daughter-in-law! Eldest’s studies are the top priority; this matter cannot be delayed. Give the silver to Eldest first.”

In a feudal extended family, the head of the house’s words were law. Ordinarily, if Old Man Lu spoke, Li Shi would have no choice but to obey, as the financial power had always been in his hands. But the thought that this money was exchanged for her son’s future, the knowledge that they would soon be separated, and the memory of how much money the Eldest Uncle had scammed from the family under the guise of “studying” over the years, triggered a stubborn streak from deep within her heart.

With red eyes, she said word by word: “Eldest Brother-in-law has been taking these exams for so many years! If he could pass, he would have done so long ago! This money is compensation from Steward Wang for my son. Even if it goes to the family, our second branch should get a share—how can you just ‘borrow’ it all?”

Third Aunt, who had been silent on the sidelines, couldn’t stand it either and helped out in a low voice: “That’s right, Eldest Brother always says he’s ‘almost there,’ but our family’s coffers are almost empty.”

Eldest Aunt, hearing this, acted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She immediately sat down on the floor and began to howl at the top of her lungs: “Oh, my heavens! I can’t go on living! Second Sister-in-law, what kind of heart do you have? You’re cursing my husband to never pass the Xiucai exam! Why are you so poisonous!”

The entire room instantly descended into chaos.

Lu Lin stood still, his small body unmoving. While he kept the details of Steward Wang’s instructions firmly in his mind, he split his focus to understand the cause of the quarrel. A poor family has many troubles. A mere two taels of silver were enough to make family members tear each other apart and create such an uproar.

Lu Lin didn’t take it to heart; he was used to such squabbles. Even teeth and lips collide occasionally, let alone a family this large. Besides, he was, after all, only a six-year-old child; he had no say in such disputes among elders.

Just then, he heard his mother, Li Shi, let out a heart-wrenching cry. “You say you’re going on a study trip, but who knows what disgraceful things you’re really doing! You hang out with such shady friends—who knows what kind of trouble you’ve stirred up outside! My husband is an honest man who has never offended anyone in his life. Why, for no reason, did he come back from the county town with a broken leg? Where am I supposed to go to find justice for that?!”

When Eldest Uncle heard this, he quickly explained: “Sister-in-law, you mustn’t speak nonsense. What does Second Brother’s leg being broken have to do with me?”

In the main hall, Lu Lin keenly caught the panic in his Eldest Uncle’s voice.

Father’s leg… it wasn’t an accidental fall? It was broken by someone? And it’s related to Eldest Uncle’s study trip?

Lu Lin’s heart sank. He could no longer remain silent. He turned around and bowed deeply to Steward Wang with his small body.

“Uncle Wang, I apologize. My family has had a slight incident; please allow me to go and handle it.”

Steward Wang, who had been listening with great interest, was taken aback. Handling a family matter? He looked at the little boy before him with fascination—what kind of family matter could a six-year-old child possibly handle? But seeing the firm resolve in Lu Lin’s eyes, Steward Wang was not annoyed; instead, he grew curious to see how the play would unfold and waved his hand.